Three key takeaways from the Transparency Research Conference 2017
We recently attended the 5th Transparency Research Conference in Limerick. Here are the three key transparency, open data and accountability issues that we learned.
The Stats behind the Soundbites: What does IATI say about US foreign assistance?
The 2018 foreign assistance cuts proposed by the Trump Administration have set off significant debates about the priorities for US investments abroad. Moreover, with ambitious reviews of both the Department of State and USAID about to begin, there are even more questions about how the US can most effectively deliver foreign assistance. As both the Administration and Congress make decisions on the shape and size of this agenda, it is vital that they possess a solid understanding of the impact of their decisions, both domestically and abroad. This requires access to quality foreign assistance data.
The Grand Bargain: is the transparency commitment set to be ‘win-win’ for all concerned?
“We need the few giants to look past self-interest and towards building the humanitarian system of tomorrow, creating a win-win situation for donors, UN and non-UN agencies, taxpayers and, above all, affected populations.” Excerpt from: Too Important to Fail – addressing the humanitarian financing gap, January 2016 It was with these sentiments that 30 […]
USAID can take transparency to the next level
USThis is a guest blog post by George Ingram, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and Chair of the Friends of Publish What You Fund. The original blog was posted on the Brookings site. It is an anxious time. The development community is fraught over a complex of issues, only a few of which are […]
An uneasy European consensus for development
This week in Brussels, the European Union (EU) institutions proudly launched a new ‘Consensus for Development’ that will shape their development policy for the next ten years. The European Union and its member states collectively account for just over half of global aid spending, so their position is important. Even if we just consider the […]
A New Partnership for Somalia: is it serious about mutual accountability?
Earlier this month, the British government hosted a conference on Somalia, together with the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the African Union and United Nations. The conference was timely: Somalia’s recovery from decades of civil war is being held back by ongoing terrorist activity and a food crisis in much of the country. […]